Mercola Water pollution has many sources. Agriculture is a significant one, but clothing is another that has not received as much attention. Non-organic cotton contributes to environmental problems due to the fact that most of it is genetically engineered (GE) and sprayed with copious amounts of Roundup, the active ingredient in which is glyphosate, a likely human carcinogen. In fact, non-organic cotton is one of the most chemical-dependent crops out there. But synthetic fibers like polyester and nylon are equally destructive.2 In 2014, polyester — a plastic material made from crude oil — made up 60 percent of all fabrics produced by the textile industry.3 Unfortunately, stretchy fabrics like yoga pants and comfy, cozy fleece items have become a true bane, shedding copious amounts of microscopic plastic fibers each time they’re washed.

Microfibers Account for Majority of Plastic Pollution Microplastics Are a Major Issue in the Gulf Factors That Worsen Microfiber Release. Every town needs a remakery. The Edinburgh Remakery is a social enterprise that teaches repair.

The shop sells refurbished computers and furniture, and hosts workshops where people can come along and learn how to repair their own things. There’s a big vision behind it: “we want to generate a repair revolution. This means changing the way people use and dispose of resources, encouraging manufacturers to build things to last and to be fixable, and making sure the facilities are in place to allow people to repair and reuse.” The Remakery was founded by Sophie Unwin, after spending a year in Nepal. There she saw a culture of repair and stewardship that was absent in our own throwaway society – but it used to be there. These projects are important right now, because those repair skills are still out there in society, and they might not be for very long.

This decline in repair facilities is repeated up and down the country, and it makes the throwaway culture self-reinforcing. Like this: Like Loading...
Sweden is paying people to fix their belongings instead of throwing them away. To combat its ‘throwaway consumer culture’, Sweden has announced tax breaks on repairs to clothes, bicycles, fridges and washing machines.

On bikes and clothes, VAT has been reduced from 25% to 12% and on white goods consumers can claim back income tax due on the person doing the work. The incentives are intended to reduce the environmental impact of the things Swedes buy. The country has ambitious targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but has found that the impact of consumer choices is actually increasing. The scheme is expected to cost the state some $54 million in lost taxes, which will be more than outweighed by income from a new tax on harmful chemicals in white goods. Moreover, Sweden’s economy is growing strongly and the government has an $800 million budget surplus. I interviewed the man behind the scheme, deputy finance minister Per Bolund, a member of the Green party and a biologist by training. Will these tax breaks be big enough to change people’s habits?